Most Canadians celebrate the changing seasons, especially when the celebration can be held outdoors, with family and friends, around a barbecue. In recent years, we have seen more and more beautiful arrangements for cooking outdoors, but also the appearance of whole kitchens. Let’s take a lesson from our neighbours to the south and take out the cookware for memorable meals, prepared outdoors and not in the comfort of your home! What makes this idea so attractive? Here are five reasons why outdoor kitchens are the current trend.
Practices
Equipped with storage drawers, stove drawers, refrigerators, wine coolers, beverage centres and a sink, outdoor kitchens are much more convenient and reduce the amount of comings and goings indoors. No need to open doors with dirty hands!
Functional
Since you will probably create your own outdoor space from scratch, you will have carte blanche to create a functional space that fits your lifestyle and habits. Do you need two fridges outside or just one? If you like to receive a lot of people, you will need to have several seats, and it is possible! By implementing a few ideas yourself, using outdoor kitchen sets and drawing inspiration online, you can make your summer kitchen the most functional room in the house.
Invitation to relax
An outdoor area equipped with sofas and deckchairs invites you to relax and will encourage your guests to stay longer. Add a bar, sink and wine cooler and the table will be set for a guys’ night out or invite friends to have a drink on a weekday evening.
Multi-seasons
The outdoor kitchen should not be used only in hot weather. If you include a fireplace, heat lamps and decorative lighting, you can enjoy the pleasant evenings of autumn and early spring, well wrapped under a blanket after enjoying a good meal.
Added value at home
In the southern United States, real estate agents are beginning to add the area of outdoor living spaces in the calculation of the total area per square foot since, in their opinion, it is a functional addition to the home. We all know that a renovated kitchen adds value to your property, so it makes sense to think that a well-designed outdoor kitchen (increasing the number of kitchens for two!) will also add value to your home.
COOKING OUTDOORS: 3 TRENDS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Outdoor cooking has been practiced since cavemen and, through the ages, the pleasure of gathering to eat has always been present. Outdoor kitchens, whether it’s a simple barbeque layout or the total with counter, sink, armchairs, bar and dining room, continue to gain popularity and are now an important asset for reselling a home.
Here are three main trends that are emerging in outdoor cooking:
1) Simplicity
A successful meal, just like a successful evening, has little to do with anything: the right attitude and the right ingredients. We can see the return of simple dishes to enjoy in the courtyard around the barbecue. Pasta salads, jell-O mussels, egg sandwiches and the classic hamburger are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Let’s get this straight: we’ll probably have quinoa on the menu in pasta salad, free chicken eggs and gluten-free bread. But the nostalgia associated with these dishes makes them a sure success and takes us back to days when life seemed easier.
If you are just starting to set up your outdoor kitchen, consider getting a good barbecue, big enough to cook for several guests and a large outdoor sink that will be useful for hand rinsing and cooking preparations. For outdoor evenings, make your life easier by taking your furniture outdoors from inside to outside.
2) Slow
Smoking rooms, a kind of outdoor slow cooker, are making a strong comeback. These devices require patience, but as another thing, waiting is often rewarded. Recipes for smoking rooms and smoked meat are now everywhere, whether it is to prepare a beef breast or a Thanksgiving turkey.
In the past, only the barbecue reigned supreme in the outdoor kitchen, but now there are also options for slower cooking, such as pizza ovens and smokehouses. So you can sit back, enjoy the sunny weather and the company of your guests, take the cool bottle out in the outdoor minifridge and relax to your favourite music while you wait to enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
3) Edible garden
Fresh herbs, vine-ripened tomatoes and a crunchy cucumber complete a delicious summer meal. Even better when you have picked them in your own vegetable garden! As more and more people want to know where their food comes from, small vegetable gardens are attracting more and more people.
If you want to try gardening by growing your own vegetable garden, read these little tips from the Homemade Vegetable Garden: how to plan it?
To reduce maintenance work and the resulting back pain, we are seeing more and more courtyards that require little care and maximize outdoor living space. Herbs and vegetables are planted in large containers and the garden is composed of beautiful annuals, giving you more time to enjoy your outdoor living space with family and friends over a good meal.
If you are curious and want to learn more about how to improve your cooking and outdoor reception experience, you will find below three reading suggestions to help you enjoy it.
- Garden furniture: choice of materials
- Become the king or queen of your outdoor kitchen
- New refrigeration technologies that Dad will love
Let yourself be inspired!